Forgive the sacrilege, but this Easter it is difficult for us to avoid asking the question: does the Church of England have a death wish?
We do so because the Church itself has chosen this holiest of weeks to allow a senior bishop to recommend that C of E schools should restrict their intake of Christian pupils to 10 per cent.
C of E schools are one of the education system’s few success stories.
They achieve first-class results and – by encouraging parents and children to attend church, in order to win a place – help to keep alive this country’s Christian heritage and values.
The Church of England, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, has allowed a senior bishop to recommend that C of E schools should restrict their intake of Christian pupils to 10 per cent
Yes, we accept that those parents who undergo an almost miraculous conversion to Christianity to secure these sought-after places are guilty of hypocrisy.
But at least their children are being brought up in a faith that has defined this country for almost 500 years.
The Church admits academic standards could slide once the selection criteria are relaxed, and – by reducing the number of pupils with a religious background – the ethos of the school will be watered down.
Depressingly, however, this is considered a price worth paying to promote inclusivity and ‘serve the wider community’.
No other religion would deliberately undermine itself in such a way, and yesterday Islamic and Roman Catholic faith groups reacted with astonishment at the way the C of E is behaving.
Sadly, however, the admissions meddling is typical of a Church which, under the current Archbishop of Canterbury, cares more about political correctness than promoting Christian beliefs.
If the aim is to make the Church utterly irrelevant in the modern world, its leaders are going precisely the right way about it.
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